Numerous health patients require assistance when walking, especially over long distances, but also desire an active lifestyle. One type of wheelchair that is commonly used is a transport wheelchair (referred to hereinafter interchangeably as the “wheelchair” or the “transport wheelchair”), which is also known as a “companion chair” because it generally has smaller wheels and requires a person to push the wheelchair from behind. The wheelchair must be sufficiently strong to safely support the weight of a wheelchair user and, yet, it must be light enough to allow easy transportation. For example, an elderly person may require the use of the wheelchair when engaging in activities outside of the home, e.g., going to a mall, visiting a park, eating dinner at a restaurant, etc. To be able to engage in the desired activities, it is necessary to transport the wheelchair to the location of the desired activities, e.g., loading and unloading the wheelchair to and from the trunk of a car. In many cases, the person transporting the chair is the spouse of the wheelchair user. The spouse may be an elderly person that may have difficulty lifting a heavy wheelchair. In other cases, even if the person transporting the chair may be an employed caretaker handling the wheelchair may still be cumbersome.
Another type of patient aid is a walking aid that incorporates a support structure with handles and wheels that allow the aid to be wheeled while supporting the patient during movement. Sometime referred to as a “rollator” the apparatus has four wheels, a frame for supporting handles and in some instances a seat.
Rollator users often get tired on outings because they do not have the stamina to go far distances when walking with their rollators. Wheelchair users often feel restless that they must remain seated during an entire outing; also, their visibility on sightseeing tours is impaired because they cannot use the device in stand-up or walking position. Finally, physical therapists are at times concerned because the wheelchair patient is not becoming functional more quickly.
Therefore, there exists a need for a combination convertible wheeled patient aid that is stable, that has a low weight, and that has a high weight capacity in comparison to current transport wheelchairs, that can accommodate a wheelchair mode and a wheeled walker mode while maintaining the look and feel of a true wheelchair.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.